Press motor drive



Sept. 8, 1936. TORNBERG I I 2,053,979

PRESS MOTOR DRIVE Original Filed Nov. 7, 1951 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESS MOTOR DRIVE Application November 7; 1931, Serial No. 573,589

. Renewed March 7, 1934 7 Claims. (01. 101-220) The principal objects of this invention are to overcome the difficulties in the driving in synchronism of a plurality of machine units of different power requirements by means of motors of different powers; to provide for the driving of a plurality of units requiring different amounts of power by a plurality of identical motors; to provide a way of connecting up a series of motors, all of the same power, in such a way that they can drive in synchronism a plurality of units not all requiring the same power; to provide an arrangement whereby one of the motors furnishing a cooperative drive can act as a chain tightener while adding to the power of another motor in a single chain drive, and to increase the accessibility to the rollers of a multicolor printing unit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an end View of a drive arranged in accordance with this invention and applied to a combination black and color printing plant;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the end of the motor and the chain, and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the reversing clutch for reversal of the color unit to provide the desired flexibility in printing.

It is common now to provide an individual motor for each particular drive for the separate units of a machine and to provide a separate motor for driving each of the printing press units and folder units of a printing press. These motors are synchronized in one Way or another so that the entire press runs in synchronization. Owing to the fact that units of different sizes, demanding more or less power, are employed in printing presses, motors of different powers are needed for the proper synchronization of these parts. It is a rather difficult matter to furnish motors of different sizes embodying the same operating characteristics so that with certain percentages of loads the running speeds are the same.

This invention is designed tocircumvent the problems introduced by the driving of a plurality of units of a machine demanding different powers. Although capable of general use, the invention is illustrated as applied to a printing press comprising one or more black printing units A and B and one or more color printing units C.

In this case it is to be assumed that the color printing unit C is comparatively large and demands more power than one of the black printing units. This problem is solved in accordance with the present invention by so proportioning the number of motors, used for driving the unit consuming more power, to the number of motors driving the small power unit, as to entirely com- 5' pensate for the difference.

In the present case four motors I0, II, I2 and I3 are shown, all of substantially the same size and. power. In fact, it is preferred to make all these motors identical. motors I 0' and I I each drive one black and white unit, while the two motors I2 and I3 together drive the color unit C. This is the way in which these units are run when the color unit demands approximately twice as much power as one of the 15 I black units. The two black units A and B are shown to indicate that they constitute a group and it is to be understood that the invention can be employed with a press or other machine having any desired number of small units and 20 any desired number of large units.

,.The motors I0 and II are arranged to drive their respective units directly by belts or chains I4 or in any other desired Way. The shafts of both motors I 0 and II are positively connected, 25 as by bevel gears, with the ordinary synchronizing shaft I5. This shaft is provided with loose Opposite bevel gears I1 and I8. Between and meshing with them is a bevel gear I9 on a shaft 20. A clutch 2I is arranged to connect either one of the loose bevel gears I! or I8 with the shaft I5. Whichever is connected the shaft 29 will be operated but in reverse directions.

On the other end of the shaft 20 is a bevel gear 22 meshing with a bevel gear 23 on the shaft of the motor I2. Of course, the gearing is such as to synchronize the motor I2 with the motors Ill and II.

Another feature of the drive is that the shafts of the two motors I2 and I3 have sprockets 24 around which a sprocket driving chain 25 passes. This passes around a sprocket wheel on the shaft of the drum 26, which drives the color printing unit. In this case the two motors I2 and I3 are arranged in a triangular loop of the driving chain so that the gear on the shaft of the motor I3 acts as a chain tightener, adds its power to that of the other motor I2, and provides a cooperative drive. This arrangement also has the advantage of providing increased accessibility to the rollers or other mechanism of the color or multi-color mechanism C. The tightening or loosening of the chain is provided for by adjusting screws 30.

It will be obvious that the several motors that It is to be noted that the 10' are operated are always in synchronism and are compelled to be by the arrangement described.

It will be understood that this particular drawing is arranged to show the application of this invention to a practical construction and that the invention is not limited to the number of units of either group. Neither is it restricted to the type of machine shown except as expressed in the claims. Modifications can be made also by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a black printing unit and a color printing unit requiring more power than the black unit, of a single motor connected for driving the black unit, a plurality of motors for driving the color unit, all of said motors being of substantially the same size, the number of motors for the color unit being equal to the number of times more power required by that unit than that required by the black unit, and means for connecting said motors to synchronize them.

2. In a printing plant, the combination of a black printing unit and a color printing unit requiring twice as much power as the black unit, a motor connected for driving the black unit, two motors connected for driving the color unit, a connection between the latter two motors for compelling them to run in synchronism, and a connection between one of the color unit motors and the black unit motor for compelling them to run in synchronism.

3. The combination with a machine, of a plurality of motors for driving it, and an endless connection passing around the shafts of the motors and a driving element of the machine, by which the power is transmitted from all the motors to said driving element and by which the motors are synchronized.

4. In a printing plant, the combination of a black printing unit and a color printing unit, a

motor connected for driving the black unit, a plurality of motors connected for driving the color unit, a connection between the latter motors for compelling them to run in synchronism, and a connection between one of the color unit motors and the black unit motor for compelling them to run in synchronism.

5. The combination with two printing machine units, one being a color printing unit and requiring a multiple of the horse power required by the other, of aplurality of motors, the motors being connected to supply their power directly to the two units and being arranged in groups, the number of motors connected to the color unit bearing substantially the same ratio to the number of motors connected to the smaller unit as the ratio between their power requirements, and

means for connecting the two groups of motors together to synchronize them.

6. The combination with two complete machine units, one requiring a multiple of the horse power required by the other and located above it, of a plurality of motors, the motors being connected to supply their power directly to the two units and being arranged in groups, the group of motors connected to the larger machine unit bearing substantially the same ratio to the motor connected to the smaller unit as the ratio between their power requirements, a horizontal shaft connected with the lower group of motors, and a vertical shaft connected with the upper group of motors and with the horizontal shaft for connecting the two groups of motors together to synchronize them.

7. The combination with two black ink printing machine units, and a color printing machine unit requiring more power than each of the first two printing units, of two motors connected for driving the color unit, one motor connected for driving each of the other units, and means for connecting all four motors together to synchronize them.

ISIDOR TORNBERG. 

